Schools of Tomorrow, Sondwa

The Schools of Tomorrow are a cluster of new-age schools aimed at redefining the government education infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh.

The school in Sondwa is built among a rocky terrain of a tribal area in Alirajpur. The school site was a piece of contoured barren land within raw landscapes. The use of the site context with the school design was important and so the natural contours of the site were used to plan the zoning of the various blocks- Nursery, Primary, Middle and High School.

Stone dressing was done to carve out the school blocks and to blend the new environment seamlessly with the context. Large openings allowed the visual access with this beautiful rocky terrain. It was important for us to provide the students a deep visual and physical connection to their surroundings to maintain familiarity and comfort.

The design has a strong emphasis on sustainability, ensuring the existing landscape is protected. The existing site trees, and native species were protected and preserved and the design was formed around it.

Given the extreme climatic conditions of the region, temperature regulation was a key design consideration to ensure a comfortable learning environment for students and staff. The school has incorporated several passive cooling strategies like the use of fly ash bricks and AAC blocks for improved thermal insulation. The windows to the classrooms are specially designed recessed windows to control daylight ingress, eliminating the need for external chhajjas. The windows will reflect harsh sunlight and allow diffused light to enter the classrooms, and prevent any harsh shadows and excessive light from entering the areas. This in result creates a well curated and learning conducive environment for the students and will improve overall focus and attention spans.

Ensuring equal access for all students was a fundamental aspect of the design. Vibrant color schemes in shades of yellow and orange have been used to stimulate creativity and make learning spaces more playful and approachable for the students. Ramps were provided on all floors for seamless movement between the blocks and for ease of accessibility for all students. The ramps envelope around the school blocks and creates a distinctive visual feature for the school. Tactile flooring and clear signages were allocated strategically at all points within the school to allow inclusivity and ease of navigation.